THE SIDELINES : Gooden Recovered, Mets Think

The New York Mets believe former Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden has recovered from a pitching shoulder ailment of last season that limited him to about half his usual workload.

Gooden, who worked just 118 1/3 innings while spending a considerable period of the season onthe disabled list, underwent a scanning test earlier this week that showed a dark spot near his right armpit had shrunk since last season. “This removes just about any doubt we had,” an organizational source told the New York Daily News.

Had the spot been tumorous, the Mets believe, it would have grown rather than shrunk.